1. Technical Field
This invention relates to protective holders or covers for thin disks. More particularly, the invention relates to protective holders or covers for information storage disks such as compact discs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Compact discs are thin, circular information storage discs having optically retrievable information recorded in digital form on or in at least one surface thereof. Currently, conventional compact discs have only one information bearing surface. The present invention is described with reference to such singlesided compact discs, although the present invention is readily adaptable to and useful with double-sided compact discs. The information bearing surface of a compact disc comprises a thin optically reflective coating into which billions of microscopic pits are etched, each such pit representing one binary digit of recorded information. The information bearing surface of a compact disc may be damaged, and the information stored thereon destroyed, by abrasion and scratching resulting from improper storage or handling of the compact disc. The information stored on a single compact disc is often extremely valuable, warranting exceptional care to avoid damaging the information bearing surface of the compact disc. The present invention securely and positively protects compact discs from damage during storage and handling thereof.
Compact discs are conventionally marketed and stored in hinged storage containers or boxes which can retain one or more compact discs. A common conventional storage box is a substantially rectilinear plastic container known as a "jewel box". The jewel box encloses a shallow, substantially circular inner volume sized to receive and retain a compact disc. Typically the inner volume of the storage box is sized to be larger than a compact disc, both in diameter and in height, allowing the compact disc to move about within the box and thereby increasing the danger of damaging the information bearing surface of the compact disc.
Compact discs are increasingly being used with portable playing devices. In such portable use situations the compact disc is often carried and stored without the relatively bulky rectilinear storage box, and is handled much more frequently and roughly than in situation when the compact disc is used in a more protected environment. Portable play and use thus subjects compact discs to an increased danger of excessive wear and damage. Furthermore, the storage box and its liner notes often do not include information whcih the user may want to associate with the disc.